My Love Is Real
by ImHitGirl
Summary: Peeta and Katniss' first anniversary is here. It's full of love, care, and a surprising twist. Sometimes OOC.
1. Chapter 1

Today is Peeta and my first year anniversary. I still can't believe a year went by so fast. I guess I'm used to everything moving in slow motion. This morning, he made me breakfast and brought it to me in bed. Two blueberry pancakes, a few strips of bacon, and some orange juice. On the side of the tray he brought was a fake rose with a note attached that read: "Katniss, I'll love you until this rose dies." cliché, but still adorable. He came and sat by me while I ate.

After I finished eating, I turned to him and kissed him. It was a sweet kiss.

"Thank you, Peeta. That was delicious," I commented.

"You're welcome. Happy anniversary, Katniss," he smiled and hugged me.

Eventually, I decided I needed to get up and shower.

"Wanna join?" I smiled. He chuckled and nodded. He helped me undress, then we got in the shower. I washed my hair, and Peeta washed everywhere else. When we were clean, we got dressed and went downstairs.

As I walked into the kitchen to wash the dishes, I heard a familiar sharp inhalation. Oh no.

I ran to Peeta and caught him just in time to save him from smacking his head on the floor. He was wiggling around, gasping. His eyes were squeezed shut. He was having a flash back. I knew this routine all too well. I gave him my hand and he squeezed it until it hurt.

"You were a mutt. Real or not real?" He gasped.

"Not real."

"Snow hijacked me. Real or not real?"

"Real." He only asked two questions this time. It usually varied between one and four questions. All of them real or not real. "Just breathe. It'll be over soon." I stroked his hair as his breathing slowly returned to normal. He stayed on the floor stroking my hand.

"Did I hurt you this time?" He looked worried.

"Don't worry about me."

"Did I?"

"Just my hand, but it's not bad. I still have function of it." He was always worrying about me.

"Did I get hurt?"

"Not this time." He had been hurt before. He had cut his hand pretty badly on the glass table. When he fell back, his hand shattered the entire table. My mom gave him seven stitches. He had also injured me before. When he fell, he fell on my arm wrong and broke it. He felt so bad afterwards, but I kept reassuring him it didn't hurt and I was more concerned for him. I helped him up and hugged him as tight as I could. "I hate seeing you like that." I buried my face in his chest.

"I hate that you have to watch. Why won't they just go away?"

"They will with time, Peeta."

"How long, though? That's the question." It kills me that I don't know the answer to that.

"I don't know. Soon, I hope. Just know that I'll help you until they disappear. I won't ever let you go through one alone." I looked up at him. "I promise."

"You know I hate having to make you see those, Katniss."

"I would say it's my choice, but it's really not. I have to help you through them. If you were to fall and hit your neck just right... I can't even imagine what I would do." I shuddered just thinking about what could happen if I didn't catch him. "Just please let me help you." I pleaded with my eyes closed. When I opened my eyes, he was about to say something, but I kissed him before he could deny my request. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him onto the couch. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me back eagerly. He laid us down on the couch and pulled me on top of him. The kiss got more intense. I had to break it so I could catch my breath, but his lips never left my skin. He kissed any exposed skin I had. My neck, shoulders, nose. I sat up and unzipped my jacket and threw it on the floor. He smiled and pulled me back down. He kissed me again. I could taste the desire on his lips. I felt his tongue trace along my lips. I pried open his lips and pushed my tongue it. As we let our tongues tangle, I took my shirt off. He took his off, too. Only a few articles of clothing separated us. I always seemed to get nervous at this point.

"Don't be scared, Katniss," he brushed my hair back.

"It's scary how well you know me," I laughed.

"Yeah it is," he laughed with me. "Seriously, though. Don't be scared. You know I won't hurt you. If I do on accident, just tell me." He smiled. His eyes were glowing in the dim morning light. They looked like two blue pools. I just wanted to get lost in them. Maybe if I just looked deep into those eyes, the panic would dissipate. I stared at his eyes and shed the rest of my clothes. He smiled sweetly. I smiled back. Turns out I was right. Staring into his eyes erased all my panic. He flipped us over so that he was laying on top of me. I felt his hand on my thigh and sighed. He moved it so that he was touching me. He'd done this once before and I'd loved it. My breathing became more rapid. He moved his hand away and I felt that familiar sensation when he entered me. My breath hitched, then sped up even more. It grew faster as he moved faster.

"Oh Peeta," I moaned. He smiled. I knew he loved hearing me say his name. I said it more to please him. "Peeta!" I screamed. We then experienced the best feeling ever, and we felt it together. The big explosion, I call it. After that, he kissed my forehead which was coated in sweat.

"I love you," he said simply.

"I love you, too." He switched positions again so I was on top. I relaxed onto him and laid my head on his chest. "Happy anniversary, Peeta."

"Happy anniversary, Kat." I could hear the smile in his voice. I looked down and saw his prosthetic leg.

"It's so easy to forget your leg isn't real." I rubbed the smooth rubber. He smiled.

"Yeah. I forget all the time. Only when I look at it do I remember." Just then, an idea popped into my head.

"Can I give you a tattoo?" He cracked up. I was serious, though. "for real! With a permanent marker, not a real tattoo gun. It'll fade with time. It's up to you, though." I smiled at him. He stared at me before he broke into the most beautiful smile and laughed.

"Okay. Go ahead."

I smiled and jumped up to go get the permanent markers, but I felt something in the pit of my stomach. It felt like I got punched. I immediately ran to the trash can. Good thing, too because Peeta's breakfast made a surprise reappearance.


	2. Chapter 2

Peeta ran after me and held my hair. Always a gentleman. I wretched more, but anything that had been in my stomach before was now in the trashcan. Peeta helped me walk to the sink after I was positive I was done being sick and I washed my mouth out. I looked on the counter next to me and grabbed something.

"Here's the markers," I breathed. Peeta couldn't help but chuckle.

"Always the joker," he smiled. "you alright?"

"I think so. I don't know what that was. Did you poison the berries?" I laughed hoping he got my reference.

"I didn't. Wait..." He looked at me with concern. My face must have been a sight to see because he broke out in laughter. "I'm kidding." He choked out. I smacked his chest.

"Not funny." I couldn't keep the smile off my face. "Whatever it was, it's gone now. So now..." I held up the markers. "It's tattoo time." I grabbed his hand and sat him on the couch. I sat beside him and propped his leg up on my lap. I turned on the lamp next to me and began writing. "Don't even think about peeking." I warned him. I heard him laugh. I kept writing and drawing for a good ten minutes. "Okay. Done. Mind you, I'm no artist." He smiled. He tried to bring his leg up to read what I had written, but I grabbed his leg.

"It says: 'Peeta Mellark, as weird as this may sound, I'm so glad we were both chosen to be in the Games. If it weren't for the treacherous event that took place, I would have never thought that I could love anyone the way I love you. I'd never known real love until I heard your first interview with Caesar. _That_ is real love. The night in the cave. _That_ was real love. Even though the first few kisses were for show, I found myself growing more attached to you with each touch, each kiss.'" I wanted to glance over and see how he was reacting, but I didn't. "'Soon after we escaped death, I found I cared about your opinions and feelings more than I cared for anyone else's. Those nights on the train where you held me during my nightmares... well those were the best nights I've ever had. After that, I craved your touch. I felt myself falling fast, falling hard, and the only person that I wanted to catch me was you. I love you with all my heart, Peeta.' Then I drew a cool looking heart with my name." I looked at him now, and I'm glad I waited. His face was soaked. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. I immediately thought I had done something wrong, but he pulled me back against his lap and kissed my head. He buried his face on my shoulder. I turned around in his lap to face him. I hugged him close and let him cry. I could tell his happy cry from his sad cry. This was his happy cry. I smiled and let tears escape my own eyes. For once, I didn't cry as hard as Peeta. I was stroking his hair. I'd never seen him cry this much, but it gave me a chance to comfort him for a change. It seemed like he was always the one comforting me. After a few minutes, he looked into my eyes. His beautiful blue eyes had red rims around them. He took his hand and stroked my face so gently with the back of it, more tears fell. He smiled at me.

"That was the most beautiful thing I've ever read, Katniss." He rotated his leg to see my drawing. "That heart is amazing. We need to paint something together. I bet we can create some beautiful masterpieces together." I smiled. I liked the sound of creating beauty together. I didn;t think my heart was that good, though.

"That sounds fun." I grabbed his hand. I realized we were still both naked. I grabbed my clothes and he grabbed his. We went upstairs to our room and dressed again. He went to the closet and grabbed some canvas, brushes, and his paints. "Look. It's your favorite color." I pointed to an orange color on one of his pallets. It was the color of a sunset. I smiled.

"You're right." He smiled back. He handed me a paint brush. "Just paint anything you want." One particular thing popped into my head. I grabbed the green paint and squeezed it onto the pallet. Then I added just the tiniest amount of blue. I mixed them until they were the perfect color. I grabbed the white paint and squeezed that next to the green mixture. The canvas was already black, so I painted a white football shape. Then after it was dried enough, I added a circle with the green color I created. I added a black circle in the center of the green one. Then, on the edge of the eye, I wrote "Finnick" in cursive. Peeta smiled. "Finnick Odair." He said.

"In his underwear," I added with a laugh. He chuckled.

"He would be proud. Perfect color, too. The exact color of his eyes."

"I miss him." Peeta hugged me. "Okay. You paint something now." He picked up his brush and immediately began painting. I watched each stroke he made very carefully. His hands seemed to glide over the canvas so gracefully. When he was finished, he watched me very carefully, gauging my reaction. My eyes filled with tears as I took in his masterpiece. It was Prim. She was dressed in a beautiful blue dress and her golden hair wrapped around her face. "Peeta. It's amazing." That's all I could say. I was in awe. I wanted to reach out and touch Prim, but I didn't. He hugged me from behind and kissed my cheek. "I love you Peeta."

"I love you, too, Katniss."

As the day went on, I didn't get sick again. We ate dinner, went upstairs, and before we went to sleep, we made love once more. It was our anniversary, after all. I fell asleep in his arms and I couldn't have been happier.

O~O~O~O~O~O

The next morning, I felt the stomach pain again. It was pretty early and I stirred around hoping it would go away. I woke Peeta up on accident. I told him my stomach was killing me again and he walked with me to the bathroom. I crouched over the toilet waiting. After about two minutes, I leaned into the toilet and was violently sick yet again. Peeta kept my hair back and patted my forehead with a cold damp rag. I was so glad to have him there.

"Why do I keep throwing up, Peeta?" Right after the question was out of my mouth, I had a feeling I knew the answer. As I thought about it, I leaned over and threw up again. Oh God. I couldn't be pregnant. I couldn't be! I turned to see my suspicion mirrored in Peeta's eyes. "Peeta... do you... do you think I'm pregnant?" Just saying the word scared me. I wasn't ready to be a mom yet! I was only 18!

"I... I'm not sure... but if you are..." he smiled.

"You want me to be pregnant?" I gasped.

"I want you to be happy. If being pregnant scares you, just know that no matter what happens, I'm gonna be here with you. Every step of the way..." he smiled even bigger. "I am happy, though. If you're pregnant, Katniss, we're going to have the tiny pitter-patter of feet running around here! I've always dreamed of having a family. The fact that it's _our_ baby is amazing." He seemed so happy. I smiled and hugged him. We might be having a baby.

_**So... I hope you guys liked the plot twist! There's more to come! **_


	3. Chapter 3

"Mommy! Come here! I wanna show you something!" My daughter's blonde hair is in a braid just like mine. She waves me toward the kitchen. She has her bow in her hands. I walk over and gasp. I see Peeta dead on the kitchen floor with an arrow in his back. I start screaming but when I pick him up, he turns into ash.

"Peeta!" I scream. "Peeta wake up! What did you do?"

"I was training for the Games, mommy! I thought you'd be proud of me."

"Peeta! Wake up, please! Wake up!"

"Katniss?" I hear his voice, but he's ash still. "Katniss, wake up, sweetheart." I'm being shaken. My eyes fly open and realize it was a nightmare. "Katniss, what happened?" My face is drenched with tears. I look at Peeta then throw myself into his arms.

"Oh God! I just had the worst nightmare, Peeta," I sobbed.

"What happened? Tell me about it." He's brushing my hair back from my face.

"I had a dream our daughter shot you with an arrow. Then when I tried to hold you, you turned into ash. It was horrible." He hugged me closer.

"It's alright, Kat. It wasn't real. Don't be afraid."

"Wait... how did I get back in bed? The last thing I remember was hugging you by the toilet."

"Well, you fell asleep in my arms, so I carried you back to bed."

"What time is it?" I wiped away my tears.

"It's 11:15. I thought you needed the sleep." He looked at me. The expression on his face told me he was leaving something out.

"Did something else happen while I was asleep?" He was contemplating telling me something.

"Gale stopped by," he sighed. Great.

"Were we in bed or still by the toilet?"

"We were in bed. I heard a knock, so I left you to sleep while I went to answer the door. He asked where you were and I told him you were sleeping. He said he'd come back later this afternoon."

"Did you tell him anything? You know... about..."

"No. I thought I'd leave that up to you. Plus we aren't 100 percent sure. Maybe you should take a test first. Before we tell anyone." He smiled a little.

"Thank you. My mom has some homemade tests she gives to people. They're 100 percent accurate. Maybe I should try one of those," a wave of panic struck me. "Oh man."

"What?"

"Then she'll want to know if it's for me. Who else would it be for? She's going to freak out. I'm only 18."

"That's true... but at least we're married. I mean at least we waited. Plus, it wasn't planned." He was stroking my hair. When he said the word 'married,' his face lit up for a split second like a kid who had just gotten the best birthday present ever. I smiled at him.

"I saw that." I accused.

"You saw what?"

"Your face light up." He still looked confused. "Your face lit up when you said the word 'married.' You love saying that word, don't you?"

"I really do." He smiled back then kissed my nose.

"Uh oh."

"What?" I leapt up before I could answer. I wretched in the toilet, but nothing came up. It stung my throat. Peeta was right there again. I collapsed back into his arms.

"I hate this. Why does there have to be morning sickness?" I groaned.

"Maybe you should call your mom today. Ask about taking a test." The look I gave him must have made me look horrified. "I'll be there with you, remember." I sighed.

"Okay." He helped me up off the bathroom floor and we went downstairs to call my mom. I was shaking. Peeta grabbed my hand to steady me. I dialed her number secretly hoping she wouldn't answer. She answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey mom. It's me."

"Oh hi, Katniss! How are you?"

"I'm... decent." I looked over at Peeta and he smiled reassuringly. "Look, mom, the reason I called is that... uh..." How did I tell her?

"Katniss? Are you okay, honey? You sound a little sick." She knew me too well.

"I'm fine, mom. I'm not sick, but... I do need you to come over and bring me..." I took a deep breath and just let it out. "Mom, I need you to bring me one of your homemade pregnancy tests as soon as possible, please." There was silence on the other end of the phone. Peeta's thumb rubbed the side of my hand soothingly. "Mom? Are you there? Are you mad?"

"I'm still here. No, honey, I'm not mad. Surprised, maybe, but not mad. I'll stop by in a few hours, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you. I love you, mom."

"I love you, too, Katniss." Click. She hung up. I did it.

"Everything okay?" Peeta asked.

"Yeah. She's going to stop by in a few hours and bring me one."

"Was she mad?"

"Not at all. She said she was just surprised."  
>"I told you she'd be okay." He smiled triumphantly. I laughed and kissed him. Right in the middle of our kiss, there was a knock on the door. We both jumped at the sound. I walked to get the door. Gale was standing there smiling.<p>

"Catnip!" He shouted. He picked me up in a hug and spun me in circles.

"Gale! Don't spin me, please. I beg you!" I couldn't help but laugh. He set me down and smiled.

"I thought you liked when I spun you?" He was confused.

"I just haven't been feeling top notch lately." That was a good excuse.

"Are you sick? What's wrong?" He sounded worried.

"Gale, I'm fine. You worry way too much." I punched his arm jokingly. We walked over to the couch where Peeta was flipping through the channels on television. I plopped down next to him and pulled Gale down with me.

"Hey Gale." Peeta said kindly.

"What's up, Baker Boy?" Again with the nicknames.

"I like that one. It's better than Pillsbury Doughboy." Peeta laughed. Gale laughed, too. They were friends, which made everything a lot easier. Everyone got along pretty well even though Gale still didn't like the fact that I was Peeta's. I think he got over it for the most part, though. He's always been a good sport.

"So Catnip, seriously, what's going on?" Gale asked.

"What do you mean?" Could he tell I wasn't feeling up to par?

"You said you weren't feeling good. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Gale. At all. I promise." I felt Peeta rest his hand on my leg.

"How long can you stay, man?" Peeta asked.

"I'm here until you guys kick me out." Gale laughed.

"My mom is coming to visit in a few hours. You should stay until she leaves. Then we'll kick you out." I told him. He agreed and we all settled in and watched a movie.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

With maybe ten minutes left in the movie, there was a knock on the door. I jumped up and ran to answer it.

"Mom!" I hugged her.

"Hey Katniss! How are you?" she asked eyeing my stomach.

"I'm fine." I pulled her into the house. "Mom, Gale's here. He doesn't know yet." I whispered.

"Oh. Okay. Well I brought it. It's in the bag." She motioned to a green bag with her eyes.

"Thanks, mom." She smiled. I grabbed the bag and walked to Peeta.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna go to the bathroom," he looked at me and I widened my eyes and nodded slightly. He understood.

"Okay." He said and kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Remember, no matter what happens, I'm here for you, baby." We smiled at each other. I grabbed the bag and walked to the bathroom. I opened the bag and pulled out what I guessed was the test. There was a page of instructions. It's pretty much like a regular test. Good thing I drank a ton of water earlier. When I was done, I had to wait for three minutes. I sat on the edge of the bathtub and waited. I realized then that if I am pregnant, someone had to help me catch Peeta. I couldn't have him injure himself during an episode. Maybe he could warn me somehow. I glanced at my watch. Three minutes were up. I took a deep breath. If the stick was blue, it was positive. If it was green, it was negative. I looked at the stick. I jumped on my feet and ran out of the bathroom. I jumped into Peeta's lap and whispered in his ear.

"I'm pregnant!"

_**Katniss is preggers! WOOO! Haha! Stay tuned for more happiness, love, drama, and much more!**_


	4. Chapter 4

I hugged Peeta with all my might. I could barely see my mother standing behind him a few feet because of the tears in my eyes. Peeta hugged me back just as tightly.

"I can't believe it!" He was crying, too. I buried my head in his shoulder and half cried, half laughed. This was amazing. I looked up at my mom. She mouthed the word "positive?" and I nodded. I jumped off Peeta's lap and walked over to show her the test. She looked at the blue section and hugged me.

"Congratulations, baby!" She told me and hugged me.

"Thanks mo-" I was cut off my the sound of Peeta's gasp. I ran over to him as he fell over on the couch. He started jerking around and groaning.

"You left me to die. Real or not real?" he gasped.

"Not real," I told him. I grabbed his hands and held them tight. His breathing slowed down to a normal pace as he sat back up.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"It's okay, Peeta," I comforted him. I remembered Gale was sitting on the couch before Peeta had fallen over. He was on the floor now looking extremely confused. He knew Peeta had flashbacks, but he still didn't know I was pregnant. I made sure Peeta was okay, then I went and grabbed Gale's hands.

"Gale, you're not going to believe this. I'm pregnant!" I told him happily. He just sat there staring at me. His face was unreadable. "Gale? Did you hear me? I said I'm pre-"

"Don't say it again," he said. What a weird thing to say. I gave him a _what-did-you-say?_ look.

"What? What do you mean?" He stood up and walked toward the door. I trailed after him. "Gale." He opened the door and walked outside. "Gale!" I grabbed his hand, but he yanked it away. "Where are you going?" He stopped and faced me then.

"I'm going home. It seems like you're all so happy and have such a good life without my presence." His voice was shaking.

"Wow. Seriously? You can't just be happy for me? I mean, come on, Gale. You know I love you. I just can't believe that you'd just storm out after hearing that I'm having a baby! Some friend you are." I shook my head and walked back inside with tears in my eyes. Before I got to the door, however, he spoke again.

"How can I be happy when it's _his_ baby? Answer that." I turned back to face him slowly, the tears streaming down my face.

"You should be happy for me because we're best friends. It doesn't matter whose baby." He slowly started walking over to me again. "We're suppose to stick together no matter what, Gale. That's what friends do!" I was becoming hysterical. He walked to me and wrapped his arms around me. I hadn't realized it was snowing until I felt his warm arms.

"Katnip. Don't cry." What a stupid thing to say.

"Too late, Gale."

"You know I love you and I'd do anything for you. It's just tough to accept that you're having his baby." His grip tightened. My arms were still crossed at my chest.

"I need to get back inside, Gale. Are you really leaving, or do you want to come back in?" I looked at him with expectant eyes.

"I'd love to stick around, but I can't. I have to get back to work." He hugged me tighter. "I love you, Katnip. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. I love you, too." He took his arms back and walked away. I turned and went back inside. Peeta was eying me with concern. "I'm fine. He was upset, but I think he got over it. He's coming back by soon." Peeta nodded and extended his arms. I walked over to him and sat in his lap while he hugged me. He knew me well enough to know that Gale was nothing more than my best friend. There was nothing between us. I hugged him back. My mom walked over and hugged both of us.

"I'm so happy for you two. You're going to have one gorgeous baby. Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" I laughed.

"I picture her as a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Kind of like a female Peeta in a way," I stated with a chuckle. Peeta and my mom laughed.

"I think it's going to be a boy with... blonde hair and his mom's beautiful grey eyes," Peeta said. I shook my head.

"I think _she_ will have blue eyes."

"Watch he or she have green eyes," my mom laughed.

"Like Finnick!" I said. Peeta laughed.

"We need to throw you a baby shower."

"I don't know if I want one, though."

"Oh but you get so much stuff for the baby. It can just be close friends if you want."

"I'll think about it as the due date gets closer, mom."

"That reminds me. We need to make you an appointment with a doctor."

"Oh great. Where are we going to find a doctor, mom?"

"There's one a few miles from here, actually. I'll call them today." I sighed and looked at Peeta. He smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"We're having a baby." He whispered excitedly.

"We are." I whispered back.

"Katniss, I have to get going. I'll call you later and tell you when the appointment is, okay?" my mom said.

"Okay. Thanks for everything, mom. I love you." I hugged her.

"I love you, too, sweetie." She said. "See you guys later. Congrats!" She walked out the door. I turned slowly on my heels to look at Peeta, then I ran and jumped into his arms. He hugged me and spun me in a half circle. I buried my face in his shoulder and he buried his face in mine. We both cried happily.

A few hours after Peeta and my little moment, my mom called and told me my appointment was in one week. I told Peeta how nervous I was.

"I hate the doctor. You know that. Plus, I mean, it's not like a normal doctor... it's... it's weird. That gel they squirt on your stomach is cold and just plain uncomfortable," I told him.

"Well, you know I'm going to be there with you. It's going to be okay," he reassured me. I smiled. I knew he would be. I hugged him tightly.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

I lay on the table at the doctors' office. It's dark, the gel he just squeezed on my stomach is freezing, but I have not only Peeta by my side, but my mom and Gale are here with me. I'm holding Peeta's hand. I'm starting to see a tiny baby bump. It was pretty exciting, actually. Exciting, but scary.

"There's the heartbeat," the ultrasound tech pointed to the monitor where you could just barely see a tiny heartbeat.

"How far along is she?" Gale asked.

"I'd say she's roughly nine weeks along."

"Nine weeks? Wouldn't I have noticed I was pregnant earlier than ten days ago?" I asked.

"Sometimes it's tough to tell. Everyone's body is different. Would you like pictures?" he asked.

"Yes!" Peeta shouted a bit too loudly. I laughed.

"Okay," he pressed a few more buttons before turning the monitor off and wiping the gel off my belly. "I'd like to see you back in two months. It should be about the right time and we can determine if it's a boy or a girl." He handed me the pictures of our baby.

"Honestly... I kinda want it to be a secret," I confessed. "Maybe you could tell my mom and Gale, though." I turned to them. "Do you guys promise to keep it a secret?"

"Of course, sweetie," my mom answered.

"Sure thing, Katnip," Gale said.

"Peeta... do you mind not knowing?" I wanted to make sure he was okay.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, actually," he said. "It'll keep us guessing."

"Alright, then. You can make your appointment up front. Congratulations, you two," the tech told Peeta and me. "How long have you two been together?"

"We just celebrated our one year anniversary," Peeta said proudly as he kissed my hand.

"How wonderful! Well, this bundle of joy seems like he or she will be very loved."

"Absolutely. I've always dreamed of having a family." Peeta squeezed my hand. I smiled at him and he smiled back. I got off the table and we walked up to the counter to make my next appointment. Gale nudged me.

"I never really got to congratulate you guys. I acted pretty stupid. I'm sorry. You don't deserve that. I'm happy for you," he told me.

"Thank you, Gale. That means so much to me. Also, thanks for coming with us today," I told him. "Love you, Gale."

"I love you, too, Katnip." He hugged me. Then, he did something I was not expecting. He got on his knees and whispered "You have the best mommy in the world. She loves you very much and she will never hurt you," to my tiny future bundle of joy.

_** So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I plan to write the next one very soon! Don't want to keep you guys waiting! Thank you all for the positive reviews! **_


	5. Chapter 5

When we got back home, it was just Peeta and me. My mom had gone back to work and Gale had gone home to rest for a while before he went to work. Peeta and I sat on the edge of our bed and looked at the pictures of our baby.

"He's so tiny, still," he said.

"She's big enough to give me this tiny baby bump," I lifted my shirt and showed him my stomach. He put his hand on my stomach. I watched his expression go from concentration, to wonder, to amazement.

"He kicked," He smiled up at me. "Feel right here." He took my hand and placed it where his had been. He put his head down by my belly. "Show mommy how you kick." I didn't expect her to actually kick after Peeta told her to, but to my surprise, she did. I felt a tiny nudge against my hand. My eyes widened in surprise.

"Whoa." That's all I could say. I was speechless. My baby just kicked. I sat and waited to feel another kick. Sure enough, a few minutes later, she kicked again. "That feels so weird." I laughed.

"I can't even imagine," he picked up the pictures again. "I still can't believe we're gonna have a baby." The look on his face was nothing but pure excitement. No trace of fear whatsoever. At least, not until I saw the flash of fear in his eyes seconds before he gasped. Good thing we were on the bed. He fell backwards twitching as I cradled his head in my lap.

"I was hijacked. Real or not real?" He gasped.

"Real."

"Snow is coming back to hurt me. Real or not real?"

"Not real. He's dead, Peeta."

"You slept with Gale while I was gone. Real or not real?"

"Not real." Ouch. That one stung. I knew he had no control, though. His breathing went back to normal as I stroked his blonde hair.

"I'm sorry about that last one. That wasn't right to ask."

"It's okay. You have no control. I didn't sleep with Gale, though. Just so you know the truth." I just wanted him to know the absolute truth. "We did kiss, though... quite a bit," I gauged his reaction to see if I should tell him anymore. He seemed... calm. I continued. "When we were sent to District 2, right after you..." I paused. I was going to say 'right after you choked me,' but decided against it. "...right after I found out you were hijacked, Gale and I... we kissed. We were by a fireplace and I just lost it. I wanted you back. I was grieving, thinking I'd never hold you again. Gale was there to comfort me. I was pretty crazy," I laughed nervously. "I think I just wanted anyone's touch that night. When he kissed me, I didn't hesitate to kiss back. I craved affection. His touch was the only thing that felt real. I wanted so badly to open my eyes and be kissing you, but that just didn't happen." I didn't know what else to say. He spoke only then.

"Did you guys... do anything? I mean..." he couldn't finish.

"No. Not at all. Our clothed stayed on. Well... my jacket came off because we were by the fire, but that's it. I think the only thing that happened was he kind of felt under my shirt. Just on my back, though." Recalling the memory made me shiver. "I understand if you're angry. You have every right to be." I closed my eyes in defeat.

"Katniss," his voice was so close. He was right by my ear. "I'm not angry. That was a long time ago and you were grieving, you said it yourself." I felt his hands under my shirt slowly inching up my back. My eyes were still closed as he moved his hand up and down the entire length of my back. Not just once, but over and over. I don't know if he was trying to comfort me... it kind of did something completely different. I wonder if that was his intention. His lips were right next to my ear, still. "Is my hand bothering you at all?" His lips just barely touched my ear. I shivered.

"No. It feels good," my voice was shaky. His hand kept moving on my back, his fingers tracing my spine. "You have very soft hands. I like them." I guess years of rolling dough and making cakes does that. "Peeta..." I whispered. His hands moved from my back and slid to my ribs. I'm glad my eyes were closed because I felt them roll back into my head. I opened them and turned to face him. Our foreheads were touching.

"You're so beautiful, Katniss." He rested his free hand on my cheek. I grabbed it and held it there. I turned my face to kiss his hand, then put it back on my cheek. He kissed my nose, then moved to kiss my mouth. It was such an amazing kiss. His hand continued to move up and down my side. "I love you." I felt a tiny kick as if to agree with Peeta. I smiled.

"I love you, too. She just kicked again."

"She did? When?"

"Right after you said you loved me."

"Maybe she was agreeing with me," he chuckled and put his hand on my stomach.

"Did you just call her a 'she?'" I laughed.

"Did I? No way. It's a he."

"You said 'she' twice." I laughed.

"Well I meant he. Where did _he_ kick?" I took his hand and placed it where she had kicked me. We sat there for a good five minutes without her kicking.

"Katniss?" He asked.

"Yeah, Peeta?"

"I love you more than anything in the world. I just thought I should tell you again. Just in case you forgot," Again, right when he finished telling me, she kicked. His eyes widened. "Whoa. That was a huge kick." I laughed again. "That was so cool." There was so much excitement in his voice. He kissed me again before saying, "I can't wait to be a dad."

_**Sorry it took so long to post this chapter! I've been kinda busy! I'll have a new one up very soon!**_

_**BTW for those of you who don't remember Katniss and Gale's kissing... here ya go! (Quote belongs to Suzanne Collins, not me!)**_

___**"**__**Nonetheless, after we've dropped off the birds and volunteered to go back to the woods to gather kindling for the evening fire, I find myself wrapped in his arms. His lips brushing the faded bruises on my neck, working their way to my mouth. Despite what I feel for Peeta, this is when I accept deep down that he'll never come back to me. Or I'll never go back to him. I'll stay in 2 until it falls, go to the Capitol and kill Snow, and then die for my trouble. And he'll die insane and hating me. So in the fading light I shut my eyes and kiss Gale to make up for all the kisses I've withheld, and because it doesn't matter any more, and because I'm so desperately lonely I can't stand it. **_

_**Gale's touch and taste and heat remind me that at least my body's still alive, and for the moment it's **_

_**a welcome feeling. I empty my mind and let the sensations run through my flesh, happy to lose **_

_**myself."**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I skipped ahead a month or two just to speed things up a tiny bit! Here we go!**_

My second appointment was yesterday. My mom and Gale both know the baby's gender, but they promised not to tell Peeta or me. I know Gale will keep the secret. He's kept many secrets in his life. The ultrasound technician was very good about telling him and my mom in private. I didn't even know he told them. When I asked if they wanted to know the sex, they told me they already knew. I looked at my ultrasound tech and he told me he had already let them know. I was amazed.

Peeta started having less episodes. Instead of having one a day, he was now only having one every other day. I, however, have had morning sickness like crazy. I'm hovered over the toilet for a good thirty minutes each morning when I stir awake. And Peeta, poor Peeta, is always there holding my hair back and wiping my face with a cool rag. He just recently told me that usually when people throw up, he gags. He told me, though, that he hasn't gagged yet when I've gotten sick. He say he thinks it's because he knows the cause of my sickness. Every time he says the word "baby," his face gets this distinct look of a mix of excitement and adoration. It's impossible to describe just what it looks like, but when I see that face, I smile. Every single time. I can't help it. It's like I can't control it, either. This huge smile just spreads across my face. Maybe it's the way he says "our baby" that gets my heart racing. It's weird... after all this time of being together, he can still make my heart race like no other.

Today was pretty good. It started out like the rest with morning sickness. It burned my throat a bit because I hadn't eaten a huge dinner last night like I usually do. Peeta was there like he always is; holding my hair and my hand. I hope this morning sickness ends soon. I've been told it goes away around the 15 week mark. I'm 17 weeks along. It needs to stop. I think it's going away a bit because for the past week, I've only thrown up every other day. Unfortunately, it's the same day Peeta's episodes occur. Luckily, his episodes occur more towards the later part of the afternoon. He's learned to warn me just seconds before he falls. His eyes get huge and he sounds like he's choking. Usually I'm right beside him to begin with so I can support him when he collapses. He doesn't fall completely anymore, either. His knees give out, but he's still able to stumble (with my help) to the couch or nearest chair. He's still asking the same amount of "real or not real" questions, though. Some more harsh than others, but I know he can't help it. Today's question wasn't harsh, but it brought back a very painful memory.

As Peeta was twitching on the couch with his head in my lap, his hand flew up and smacked my nose. I grabbed his hands and tried to calm him down.

"Snow killed Prim. Real or not real?" He yelled.

"R-real," I stuttered. As he calmed down, my nose bled, and I cried.

"Oh my- what did I do?" He jumped up and grabbed some paper towels.

"Your hand hit my nose. I'm fine."

"I'm so sorry." He hugged me.

"That's not why I'm crying, though. Your last question..."

"Kat, I'm sor-"

"I know you didn't mean to upset me. I'm okay."

"Promise?"

"Yeah. It just really stinks that Prim won't get to meet her niece or nephew."

"I know, baby. I'm sorry." He didn't say anything else. He just held me while I finished crying. That's another thing that's no fun about pregnancy. I cry more now than I ever have. It's annoying, but I can't help it. Peeta says he doesn't mind me crying. I've apologized on many different occasions about crying. He just tells me not to apologize and hugs me. He's going to be one amazing father.

_** This chapter was kind of short, so I apologize! I have a question for you guys. Does anyone know what Katniss' dad's name was? Or if Suzanne Collins even told? I don't think she said, but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss it! Thanks a bunch! :D **_


	7. Chapter 7

Today could have gone better. It's been a month since Gale and my mom found out the sex of our baby. I'm getting huge. I had this crazy idea to tell Haymitch now before it was closer to my due date. To be honest, we'd forgotten to tell him. We were too wrapped up in the fact that I was pregnant.

Peeta and I went over to Haymitch's house yesterday afternoon. He's been sober for... oh, three days I think he told us. That's pretty awesome, all things considered. Haymitch has a reputation for being drunk constantly. He was sober when we went over to tell him the news.

His exact words were this: "Well... let's hope the apple falls far from the tree in this case," Honestly, I wasn't as phased by this as Peeta was. I felt his body stiffen beside me. I grabbed his hand and shook my head. I let Haymitch's comment go and asked him if he would be there in the room with us when I went into labor. Not when I was pushing, of course. That'd be weird (to say the least). The only people I want in the room at that time are my mother and Peeta. Haymitch perked up at the question. "You sure you want me in there, sweetheart?" He asked. I laughed at the fact that he called me "sweetheart." Memories came flooding back, but I pushed them away.

"Positive, Haymtich," I laughed. "You have to leave when I start the pushing, though." His face was priceless. A mix of "no duh" and "what?" After we left Haymitch's house, we went back home and sat on the couch. "Man, my feet are killing me. Pregnancy definitely wears you out." I laughed. Peeta smiled and grabbed my legs. He propped them on his legs and pulled off my shoes. He had some magical fingers, that's for sure. My feet felt better almost immediately. "Man. You're good at that." He laughed. I decided to turn on the tv and see what was on. One of my favorite movies was playing. It was about a guy who decided to be a super hero and an 11 year old girl who joins him. They team up and kick ass together. It's an awesome movie. I didn't realize I was falling asleeo until I heard Peeta talking. Or I think it was him talking. You know when you can't tell if what you're hearing is real or just in your head?

"Katniss? Come on, sweetie. Let's go to bed," he helped me up as I was still somewhat asleep. I was aware enough to at least walk to our bed with his help. "There we are." He helped me lay on the bed and helped me undress then got me some shorts and a sleep shirt. After I was dressed agaon, I was out like a light. The last thing I heard was him saying, "I love you both so much." then he kissed me and my belly.


End file.
